Generations
by Rethira
Summary: Nasir likes going to meet Grandpa, even though he doesn't get to do it often.


This pretty much evolved from the idea that the Dragon's Gate in Elibe leads to somewhere in Goldoa.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of the characters therein.

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><p>Nasir doesn't often spend time with Grandpa. Mother says it's because Grandpa is from the other place, and that Father is scared of Grandpa. Nasir has never known Grandpa to be scary though; Grandpa likes being transformed a lot, but so does Nasir, and so do Nasir's friends. Father always frowns a bit whenever Mother says that Grandpa wants to see Nasir. Grandfather is worse; he'd been terrifying the one time Mother had mentioned taking Nasir to see Grandpa. He'd said all sorts of horrible things, called Mother names and said that Grandpa should never have been born.<p>

Nasir had never quite been able to trust Grandfather again after that, although Grandmother said he was just set in his ways and had baked him some sweet biscuits to make him calm down. Nasir had had to give some of them to the older boys, but they had been delicious, and had crumbled perfectly. Mother had just smiled and had wiped the crumbs off of his face. Even Grandfather calmed down in the face of Grandmother's sweet biscuits, but Mother never mentioned Grandpa around Grandfather again.

Today, Mother hadn't told Father she was taking Nasir to see Grandpa.

"It'll be our little secret," she'd said.

Father will probably be angry if he finds out, but Nasir _likes_ Grandpa, so he's not going to let Father find out. The other dragons that live near Grandpa all look up, and Nasir knows they're smiling, even if it's hard to tell. They're not the same colour as most of the dragons Nasir knows – Grandfather and Grandmother and Father are all white, and Mother's just a little bit green, but there are lots of red dragons and white dragons around. The older boys are most red, and the ones that are white are skinnier and don't like getting into fights. But all the ones near Grandpa's house are pretty greens. Grandpa once told Nasir that there were orange ones too, with wings made from fire, but they don't live near Grandpa, and Father won't let Mother talk about the dragons from the other place when they're at home.

Grandpa isn't transformed when they get there. He's in bed, which is strange, because Grandpa isn't lazy.

"How are you feeling, Papa?" Mother asks, and she sits next to Papa on the bed and brings out a bowl of warm soup.

"You shouldn't fuss so, not in front of Nasir," Grandpa replies, and Mother looks strange, like she might cry. "And how are you, my boy?" Grandpa asks, smiling at Nasir.

"Nasir, why don't you tell Grandpa about what you can do?" Mother says, so Nasir does. He tells Grandpa all about how he managed to breathe a little light, and how his tutor was really surprised. He tells Grandpa about the fish he caught all by himself, and how he climbed a tree all the way to the top. He tells Grandpa about little Gareth, who's so tiny Nasir's scared he might break if Nasir touches him too hard.

Nasir only falls silent when Grandpa starts coughing, and Mother stops her sewing to leap up and pat Grandpa's back. He bats her away soon enough, and then he pats the bed beside him.

"Come up here, Nasir. I'm going to teach you about something very special," Grandpa says. "Fetch my flute, dear."

Mother frowns a little, but it's not an angry frown. She goes over to Grandpa's little desk and she picks up the special box that Grandpa had told Nasir to never, ever touch. She carries it over and gives it to Grandpa, who opens it very quickly. He takes something out and puts the box beside him on the bed.

"Now, Nasir, pay attention," Grandpa says. "This is a flute. It's a very special flute; when I was only a little older than you, I played it to help my sister and me. I want you to have it, Nasir. You must keep it very safe, and never let anyone take it or the box away from you."

"Why?" Nasir asks, staring up into Grandpa's red eyes.

"Look inside the box," Grandpa says, so Nasir does. There are four shiny little rings in the bottom, and Nasir can't help touching them. "They're special, Nasir." Grandpa picks one of them out of the box and shows it to Nasir. "This was my sister's and my mother's before her. It's a very special ring, Nasir, and so is the flute. You must look after them for me."

"I promise, Grandpa," Nasir says, earnestly. Grandpa's always so nice to him, and he was so lucky to have a sister. Nasir can't imagine what that would be like, but he knows that if he had a sister, he would have looked after her forever and ever.

"Good boy, Nasir. You're such a good boy," Grandpa says, patting Nasir's head and messing up his hair. "She had hair just like yours, you know. Maybe a shade or two lighter, but it's still there. She was kind and gentle and beautiful and she would have loved you Nasir, like you were her own." Grandpa sounds happy, but he looks sad.

"What happened to her?" Nasir asks, clutching at Grandpa's sleeve.

Grandpa smiles, but it's not happy and it makes Nasir feel bad. "She met a man, and he was a good man, and she decided to stay with him. She was happy there, I hope. As happy as I've been here," Grandpa says.

"Oh Papa," Mother says, and she comes to sit next to Nasir and hug Grandpa. "Please don't go," Mother says. "Please don't leave. Nasir adores you, he won't understand. Please don't leave us."

"I don't want to," Grandpa says.

"Are you going somewhere Grandpa?" Nasir asks.

Grandpa laughs and shakes his head. "I'm going on a journey, Nasir. I probably won't come back, so I want you to look after your mother and the box very carefully. Can you do that for me?"

Nasir nods. "Where are you doing, Grandpa?"

Grandpa smiles, and it's happy, but it makes Mother sad. "I'm going to see my sister, Nasir."

That sounds right, so Nasir nods vigorously. "Tell her about me. And don't let her get lost again, Grandpa."

"I won't, Nasir."

Mother doesn't let them stay much longer – her eyes are all red from crying, not just red like Grandpa's are – and she leads Nasir home slowly. Father doesn't say anything when they get back and when Mother comes home one day shaking and crying, Father just hugs her.

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><p>Thanks for reading :D<p>

_Rethira_


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